A Detective Story
by The Mibu Wolf
Summary: This is my first attempt at a novel with a Mickey Spillane feel to it. Let Me know how I'm doing . All characters are original .
1. Chapter One

These are all original characters , however , some of the settings and locations are real . Please , read and review . All comments are welcome , even flames . This is my first work that I have ever posted ANYWHERE , so feedback of any kind is greatly appreciated and accepted . . .

Chapter One : The Dame

I saw her standing in the corner of the nightclub . Her cigarette was making a smoky halo around her head . I'll never forget the way she looked that first night ; the lights playing across her face in lazy patterns . She was the best looking dame in the place that night , counting even the dancing girls that twirled across the stage . They were paid to be beautiful and glamorous , but they had nothing on her . The lights in the joint froze for a moment , illuminating both of us . In that moment , our eyes locked . My head was spinning ; I had no business coming in here. It was enough that I tailed her here , found out it was a regular hangout for her. The moment passed . . .

I got up from my place at the bar , got my trench from the coat-check girl . I turned on the way out , saw the Dame staring at the spot I had been sitting . She had an almost sad look on her face . I knew I should be getting out of there . Shouldn't have come in at all , but I turned around again at the door , and our gazes met each other once more . I turned away and walked out. I put on my fedora as I stepped outside and walked over to my car . I jammed the key in the door , forcing the ancient mechanism to work . I don't even know why I bother locking it ; The car is ancient , no-one would steal it . Who would want a beat up 96' Impala ? Most of the car was in black primer , it had no grille , and most folks mistook it for a retired cop car.

As I fired her up and headed into the flow of traffic , I saw the Dame walk out of the club in my mirror . Heh . This broad was almost too much . It was dangerous getting this close to the prey. Not only does the prey now know that it is being hunted , it has also seen the Hunter . I hoped that I wouldn't make a lasting impression on her , but I had that sinking feeling when I know I'm wrong . I lit up a cigarette as I pulled onto Gratiot Avenue , and swung around in the " Michicgan Left " . I figured I would drive out to Roseville , maybe as far as Mt. Clemens , just in case the Dame tried to tail me . I had doubts that she could follow me , though . No-one could follow me if I didn't want em' to .

I lit up another smoke and continued the forty-five minute drive to Mt. Clemens , then swung around and headed back into Detroit .

An hour later and half a deck of du Mauriers smoked , I was finally back in my own neighborhood . Ahhh . . . . the smell of pollution and urban decay . Nothing feels quite like home .

I parked the car in the alleyway beside my apartment building and got out . Had to slam the door shut , damn hinges were worn out . Again .

I stepped into the building and looked up . Damn , that's alot of stairs . I lit another cigarette and took a hard drag while I contemplated the situation . It was four o'clock in the morning , I had to be up in five hours , I had two smokes left on me , and the carton of du Mauriers was upstairs . Twelve . Floors . Upstairs .

Dammit .

I took the lesser of two evils and began the tiring walk to my apartment . Ten minutes and the rest of my smokes later , I arrived at my door . Hmmph . Disconnect notice taped to the door . I ripped it off of the door as I fumbled with the locks .

The hallway smelled like stale beer , piss , and cigarette smoke .

My place didn't smell much better . I've been spending too much time at the office and in the field lately .

I tossed the disconnect notice into the wastebasket beside the door , it was full of em' . Shrugging off the trench and tossing it onto the chair in the kitchen , I went to the freezer and grabbed another deck of smokes . Packing it rapidly , I tore open the deck and fished one out , lighting it . Took a deep drag .

And that's when the coughing began .

I made a run for the bathroom , falling to my knees in agony . My chest heaved , it felt like my lungs were being ripped outta me . My whole body was racked with spasms as I hacked and wheezed.

Finally , it subsided . Taking a deep drag from the cancerstick , I tossed it into the toilet . Hmmph .

Alot of blood today . . . . I thought , flushing it down as I walked away , I lit a fresh cig to replace the one that burned away into oblivion while I was coughing . I opened up the fridge , fished out a beer , and cracked it open . I downed nearly half of it in that first swallow .

Heh . Nicotine and alcohol . Sometimes I still wonder why I'm still alive . " This case is going to be the death of you , you idiot , " I thought . Shrugged it off . Nobody lives forever .


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two :

I woke up from the sunlight steaming through the windows , and the damned telephone was ringing off the hook.

I reached out , tried to find the godforsaken contraption . I finally managed to get my hand on the receiver , after pulling it towards my ear I managed to growl out " What . . . . "

" Hey , " came the voice at the other end of the line . " You're late . You were supposed to be here an hour ago to open the office . I had to have the building super open it again . " came the voice on the other end of the line . It was a voice that could wake any man from a dead sleep , but it didn't sound good enough to drive away the irritation of being woke up . " Christ , Eileen . Do you have any IDEA what kind of night I had ! " I barked into the phone . " Well , " she said , after a pause . " You went in , didn't you , you stupid sonofabitch . You know better than that . You know better than to get too close to the mark ! What the hell's wrong with you ! " Boy , was she fired up . That was one thing I loved about Eileen . No matter what I did , she would put me in my place when I screwed it up . And , boy did I screw it up . I tried to rub my eyes into working , got one of em' there , but the other refused to open . " Eileen . . .get a pot of coffee going , I'll be in in a few minutes , " I told her .

" Fine , " she replied . I hung up the phone . I figured I should take a shower before heading out to work . I cranked on the hot water faucet and walked out of the room , lighting a smoke on the way to the closet . By the time I found cleaner clothes , the water MIGHT be hot .

Aaaaahhhhh . I love that first butt in the morning . I took a deep drag , held it in . I savored the smoke as it seared my blackened lungs . I rooted through the closet for a clean -er- suit than the one I had on . I finally decided on the charcoal grey double-breasted job , with a navy colored shirt and silver tie . After putting it all on one hanger , I carried it with me to the bathroom and hung it on the hook . After tossing the now-dead smoke into the toilet , I stripped down and let the hot water scathe my pain-wracked body . I leaned against the wall , letting the steam fill up the room and the hot spray nail my back . I have problems with my back . The doctor says it's stress related , but that's also the same doctor who's been claiming I should be dead for five years now . I sighed . Enough screwing around . Time to go to work . I shut off the water and got out of the shower , towel-drying in a rush . I put on the shirt and suit , ran a comb through my hair and left the bathroom . I didn't have time to shave , the clients would have to just deal with the two days of stubble I'd grown . Yeah , like I'd have new clients today . Lighting up , I walked out the door , locked it , and began the five mile hike down the stairs . Christ , I wish they would fix the damned elevator sometime this year .

While I was walking out to the car , I noticed that some asshole had keyed it on one of the few panels that still had original paint .

Yep.

It was gonna be one of those days , alright .

I stopped at a Horton's on the way to the office , grabbed a coffee to go . I drank it in about three swallows . God , I hate Horton's coffee . I put my cigarette out the window and lit another . The drive downtown wasn't too bad , I made it in less than half an hour . I parked in a no parking zone in front of a dilapidated four-story office building , walked up to the second floor and into the office .

Eileen was pleased to see me , even if she had sounded pissed off when I talked to her this morning . She was wearing that low-cut blouse , and lemme tell ya' , she had all the curves to fill it out . It made my blood boil when she dressed like that , and the little minx knew it . I made a point of ignoring her on my way in to the office. Tossing the trench onto the coat-stand , I sat down at my chair and turned on the computer . Taking a last drag on my cigarette , I crushed it out in the antique ashtray on the desk .

Eileen sashayed into the room , her auburn hair done up real nice . She set a coffee cup in front of me and leaned over low to pour it . She didn't need to lean over that low . I shook my head . " What , do you want a raise , or something ?" I asked her . She always wanted something when she was being this nice . All women do .

" No , Frank . I was just wondering why you haven't taken me to dinner after work yet . Three weeks ago you promised me . Maybe you just don't think I'm pretty enough anymore ," she pouted . I shook my head again ." Idiot . When have you ever seen me with a pretty woman outside of the Job ," I asked her .

" Never , " she replied ." And when have you ever seen me with any other woman , outside of the Job ? " Never , "

she answered again . " SO , What makes you think that I even got time enough for a broad in the first place ? You know how many hours I put in , how focused I am on my work . I don't have room in my life for a girl , " I told her . This was a repeated discussion . . . one that I was getting tired of . It's not like I wasn't interested , Eileen was a helluva girl . She was smart , witty , damned near as sarcastic as I am ( a trait I admire in anyone ) , and she was an absolute knockout to boot .She just couldn't get it through her thick damned head that I was a married man . . . . . married to my job . Or , at least , that's what every broad I'd ever gone out with has told me .

" Ya' know , Frank , " she said , as she slid onto the desk , " mebbe if you let the right girl in , you wouldn't hafta work so hard at this job . We're in this together ." She leaned in closer , crawled across the top of the desk and tugged at my necktie . She smelled good , real good . " I got no-one at home tying me down , and neither do you ." she continued . " If it's paying me for the extra hours, don't worry about it . I make enough in tips at O'Halloran's Pub that I can afford to help you out . "

Hmmph . That's the thing I respect most about Eileen . Once she has her mind set on something , it's as good as hers . The girl had absolutely NO backdown , and one of these nights , it was gonna cause me a whole package of trouble .

I lit up another cigarette , and she did the same . I blinked in surprise . "When the hell did you start smoking ?" I asked her . "Well , since you smoke so damned much , Frank , I figure I might as well smoke too . It's better than inhaling your second-hand exhaust anyway . Screw it , you only live once ! " she exclaimed . I shook my head and sipped my coffee . That Eileen , she was a girl to ride the river with , that much is for sure . One of these days I'll have to put a claim on her , before one of those skells from the neighborhood does . . . .

One of these days . . . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note : These are all original characters , therefore no copyright infringement issues apply .

Chapter Three

Three hours of sifting through bills and expense reports later , Eileen stepped into my office.

" Frank , " she called . "It's noon-thirty already , and you need to eat something . Where do you

want to go ?"

I shuffled the stack of paperwork on my desk into a neat stack and rose from the chair .

" C'mon doll . Let's go get something from that Irish pub in Greektown . "

She grimaced , but decided to come along anyhow . She slipped into her coat as I was pulling on

my trench and my battered fedora . " Okay , " she agreed , " but you're buying ." she told me.

"Wouldn't have it any other way ," I told her with a wink and smirk .

It was only reasonably cold ; an unexpected warm front had moved into the area .

We climbed into the battered Impala and pulled into traffic .

I lit a cigarette and glanced over at Eileen. She was watching me closely out of the corner of her

eye , studying , appraisingly almost. I had no idea what it was all about , but I figured

it was going to be trouble for me one way or another .

Traffic was light , and we made it downtown in about five minutes .

Over our lunch of Reuben sandwiches and soup , there was little conversation .

Due to the prolonged hours of surveillance , I had been skipping meals , and it was starting

to show .I wasn't going to waste time with idle banter when there was food in front of me.

Eileen nibbled at her sandwich but was still watching me closely , measuring me up .

Finally , she must have made up her mind about whatever she was kicking around in there ,

because she finally spoke up . " Frank , you should take it easy for awhile . If you keep going

at this pace , you're going to burn yourself out ."

So , that's what this was about . " Trust me , doll ," I told her . "After we put this cat in the bag

it's gonna be a long vacation for both of us . I know it's way overdue , but I can't take a break until

this case is closed . Until then , I'm gonna be the same hard-charging sonofabitch

I've always been , even if it kills me ." "That's just it Frank ," she pleaded .

"I'm worried about you . You haven't been getting enough sleep, with all of this surveillance .

You're skipping meals , and I know you've dropped at least five pounds . This isn't healthy for you.

Let me take the watch detail tonight . Just take a little break . Eight hours of sleep won't kill you ."

She had a point , and a damned good one at that . I HAD lost weight , ten pounds , to be exact ,

and I was generally underweight to begin with . I was sorely tempted to take her advice , but I knew

that I couldn't . "I appreciate the offer , babe , but that's a no-can-do . I have to see this thing

through until the end." I told her. She just shook her head and watched me light up a smoke.

I took a deep drag and exhaled a thick blue-grey cloud of smoke through my nostrils .

I finished my coffee and poured another , the waitress having left the pot at our table.

We just sat there , in a comfortable silence .The smoke filled the gap between us , and I could feel

something stirring in the air . It was like a dull electrical current that ran between us .

We sat there long enough to watch the late lunch crowd dine and leave , and then I knew it was

time to go . I paid the check and left a hefty tip for our waitress .

Walking out to the car , we discovered that the warm front had disappeared , and the clouds

had formed overhead . A soft touch of bitter cold hit my cheek . I looked up and there , in the

afternoon greyness , large soft snowflakes were falling . We stood there , close to each other

as the snowfall increased . It muffled the sound of the city , muting the raucous noise of traffic and

construction . The snow was falling in big , fat flakes , and pretty soon you could hardly see ten feet

in front of you . Eileen was acting just like a kid . Twirling around in the snow , arms outstreched ,

trying to catch the larger ones on her tongue . I sometimes forgot that she was from southern

California , so every time it snowed it was like the first time for her . I watched one of the tinier

snowflakes as it descended and settled upon the tip of her nose . I stepped beside her , and

tapped her lightly on the shoulder .She turned towards me , and as my hand cradled the side of her

face , I wiped the snowflake off with the tip of my thumb . Her eyes grew large and soft as she

stepped in towards me , and I bent my head towards her waiting lips .

Her mouth met mine eagerly , yearningly , and I responded with a hunger for her that I

didn't even know I had hiding inside of me. Her arms wrapped themselves around my neck,

as she pulled me closer to her warm body . My head was spinning , and I gently pushed her

from me , breaking the kiss while I took a small step backwards .

Eileen had that doe-eyed look about her , and I knew that if I met her eyes when they were like

that , then there would be no stopping myself . I just took her by the hand and led her to the car.

"C'mon , kitty . . . . we have work to do, and won't accomplish anything by playing in the snow ."

She got in and we lit our cigarettes . That doe-eyed look was gone now , replaced by the look that

only a woman with an insatiable hunger can have. " We could go play somewhere else , Frank .

There's plenty of time left before work," she said throatily . I dragged hard on my cigarette ,

focusing on the nicotine instead of the sensual curve of her mouth , or the way her breasts strained

against the fabric of her blouse . I shook my head and leveled with her .

"Playtime's over , Kitty . Let's go to work ."

I put the car into drive and headed back to the office .

Things had just become alot more complicated ; I just hoped that I wasn't going to wind up

regretting starting this . . . . .


End file.
